Toilet seat apparatus

ABSTRACT

A toilet seat apparatus, including a planetary gear assembly, a seat, being fixed a sun gear of the planetary gear assembly, and a stick, being fixed to a ring gear of the planetary gear assembly, thereby a first angle of manual rotation of the stick applies a second angle of rotation of the seat being larger than the first angle, while the planetary gear assembly is durable due to distribution of force applied thereon between a plurality of planet gears thereof.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to the field of toilet seats. More particularly, the invention relates to a mechanism for lifting the seat.

BACKGROUND

There is a long felt need for manual operated mechanisms for lifting the seat of a toilet without touching the seat.

A small range manual operation, being smaller than that of the seat, is preferable.

SUMMARY

A toilet seat apparatus, including a planetary gear assembly, a seat, being fixed a sun gear of the planetary gear assembly, and a stick, being fixed to a ring gear of the planetary gear assembly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments, features, and aspects of the invention are described herein in conjunction with the following drawings:

FIG. 1 depicts a toilet seat apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention, at the vertical state of the seat.

FIG. 2 depicts the toilet seat apparatus of FIG. 1, at the horizontal state of the seat.

FIG. 3 depicts the stick assembly of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment, at the vertical state of the seat.

FIG. 4 depicts the stick assembly of FIG. 3, at the horizontal state of the seat.

FIG. 5 depicts the stick assembly of FIG. 1 according to another embodiment, at the vertical state of the seat.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the planetary gear assembly of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 depicts the stick assembly of FIG. 5 at the horizontal state of the seat.

The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention will be understood from the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention, which are meant to be descriptive and not limiting. For the sake of brevity, some well-known features are not described in detail.

The reference numbers have been used to point out elements in the embodiments described and illustrated herein, in order to facilitate the understanding of the invention. They are meant to be merely illustrative, and not limiting. Also, the foregoing embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated in conjunction with systems and methods thereof, which are meant to be merely illustrative, and not limiting.

FIG. 1 depicts a toilet seat apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention, at the vertical state of the seat.

A toilet seat apparatus 10 according to one embodiment of the invention includes a stick 18, for rotating the seat 14.

FIG. 2 depicts the toilet seat apparatus of FIG. 1, at the horizontal state of the seat.

Stick 18 extends from a stick assembly 16A or 16B, providing that a small angle 34A of rotation of the stick 18, e.g., 30 degrees, rotates seat 14 a large angle 34B, being at least 90 degrees.

FIG. 3 depicts the stick assembly of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment, at the vertical state of the seat.

According to one embodiment, stick 18 is fixed to a large gear 52A, being meshed with a small gear 52B, being fixed to seat 14.

FIG. 4 depicts the stick assembly of FIG. 3, at the horizontal state of the seat.

Since small gear 52B moves faster than large gear 52A, stick assembly 16A indeed obtains the requirement that small angle 34A of rotation of stick 18, rotates seat 14 large angle 34B.

However, this operation applies a large force on the cogs 38, thus breaking them.

FIG. 5 depicts the stick assembly of FIG. 1 according to another embodiment, at the vertical state of the seat.

The term “planetary gear assembly” refers herein to a prior art gear assembly, including a sun gear, planet gears, and a ring gear, for providing a certain ratio.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the planetary gear assembly of FIG. 5.

Seat 14 (not shown) is fixed to rod 28, being fixed to sun gear 26A of planetary gear assembly 54; and stick 18 is fixed to ring gear 26B of planetary gear assembly 54.

According to the example of FIG. 6, sun gear 26A has 9 cogs and ring gear 26B has 27 cogs, thus the ratio therebetween is 1 to 3.

Stick assembly 16B including planetary gear assembly 54 is more durable in relation to stick assembly 16A, since it distributes the force between a plurality of planet gears, namely between planet gears 26C1, 26C2 and 26C3 in the example of FIG. 6.

FIG. 7 depicts the stick assembly of FIG. 5 at the horizontal state of the seat.

Thus the small angle 34A of rotation of the stick 18, e.g., 30 degrees, rotates seat 14 the large angle 34B, being at least 90 degrees, while being durable.

Thus, in one aspect, the invention is directed to a toilet seat apparatus (10), including a planetary gear assembly (54), a seat (14), being fixed a sun gear (26A) of the planetary gear assembly (54), and a stick (18), being fixed to a ring gear (26B) of the planetary gear assembly (54), thereby a first angle (34A) of manual rotation of the stick (18) applies a second angle (34B) of rotation of the seat (14) being larger than the first angle (34B), while the planetary gear assembly (54) is durable due to distribution of force applied thereon between a plurality of planet gears (26C1, 26C2) thereof.

The fixing of the seat (14) to the sun gear (26A) may be through a rod (28).

The toilet seat apparatus (10) may further include a spring (30) for maintaining the state of the stick (18), thereby maintaining a vertical state of the seat (14).

In the figures and/or description herein, the following reference numerals (Reference Signs List) have been mentioned:

-   -   numeral 10 denotes the toilet seat apparatus according to one         embodiment of the invention;     -   numeral 12 denotes the bowl;     -   numeral 14 denotes the seat;     -   numerals 16A and 16B denote stick assemblies;     -   numeral 18 denotes the stick;     -   numeral 26A denotes the sun gear;     -   numeral 26B denotes the ring gear;     -   numerals 26C1, 26C2 and 26C3 denote planet gears;     -   numeral 28 denotes a rod;     -   numeral 30 denotes a spring;     -   numeral 32 denotes the spring's support;     -   numeral 34A denotes the rotation of the stick;     -   numeral 34B denotes the rotation of the seat;     -   numerals 52A and 52B denote gears;     -   numeral 54 denotes the planetary gear assembly; and     -   numeral 38 denotes a cog.

The foregoing description and illustrations of the embodiments of the invention have been presented for the purpose of illustration, and are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the above description in any form.

Any term that has been defined above and used in the claims, should to be interpreted according to this definition.

The reference numbers in the claims are not a part of the claims, but rather used for facilitating the reading thereof. These reference numbers should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any form. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A toilet seat apparatus, comprising: a planetary gear assembly; a seat, being fixed a sun gear of said planetary gear assembly; and a stick, being fixed to a ring gear of said planetary gear assembly, thereby a first angle of manual rotation of said stick applies a second angle of rotation of said seat being larger than said first angle, while said planetary gear assembly is durable due to distribution of force applied thereon between a plurality of planet gears thereof.
 2. A toilet seat apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said fixing of said seat to said sun gear is through a rod.
 3. A toilet seat apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a spring for maintaining a state of said stick, thereby maintaining a vertical state of said seat. 